


Christmas and a Dead Man

by Sekkiera



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas Fluff, Everybody Lives, Fluff, M/M, They all survived the war, but Skulduggery didn't show up because he's the actual Grinch. Hopeless is just busy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 06:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17156558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sekkiera/pseuds/Sekkiera
Summary: Anton is hesitant about closing the Hotel for Christmas, but Larrikin insists





	Christmas and a Dead Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rowrowyoboat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowrowyoboat/gifts).



“We can't just shut down the hotel.”  
“Of course we can.” Larrikin was grinning. “Come on, Anton; it's Christmas.”  
“We have an obligation to the people staying here, they -”  
“Yada yada yada. Obligation this, obligations that. How about your obligations to me, huh? I'm your boyfriend. I'm the most important of all your obligations.”  
“I'm fulfilling that one by not hitting you so you let me work in peace.” Anton's voice was factual, cold, but he knew Larrikin saw the amused twinkle in his eyes.  
“Shame.” Larrikin said, playing at disappointment. “What should I do with all the trees now?”  
Anton knew Larrikin long enough to know he might not have any trees at all, but at the same time knew him well enough to know that he might have, in fact, staked a number of trees in an empty room in the hotel somewhere when Anton wasn't looking.  
He sighed. “Please tell me you didn't.”  
Larrikin was grinning again. “Please tell me I did.”  
Anton frowned. “That doesn't make sense.”  
Larrikin, still grinning, shrugged. “Does it have to?”   
By now, Anton was fairly certain that they had, in fact, acquired multiple trees without him knowing anything about it.  
He shook his head, but didn't quite manage to keep himself from chuckling.  
“So, what do you say?” Larrikin asked, the reaction encouraging him. “We decorate the hotel, and all the guys come over and we celebrate Christmas like in old times.”  
Anton raised an eyebrow. “You mean with cheap alcohol and killing people?”  
Larrikin pulled a face. “Fine.” Then, shifting back to cheerful, he said: “We decorate the hotel, and all the guys come over and we celebrate Christmas like in new times.”  
Anton sighed. “And what would those new times entail?”  
“Trees,” Larrikin said.  
“Trees?”  
“Trees.”  
Anton was smiling now, himself. “Anything besides trees?”  
At that, Larrikin seemed to perk up, a childlike joy in his eyes - so honest, so open, it broke Anton's heart a little. “Well, embarrassing stories, board games and cookies of course. And presents. All the presents.”  
“The guests, Larrikin.”  
For a moment, Larrikin seemed to think about that, then he said, voice shining with excitement: “They can join!"  
“They can -- Are you insane?”  
Larrikin shrugged. “Maybe.” Then he draped an arm over Anton's shoulder. “And don't you just love me for it?”  
“Of course I do.” The response was automatic, not something he had to think about anymore.  
Larrikin's grin widened. “So you want me to be happy, yeah?”  
Anton didn't reply.  
“What would make me really happy,” Larrikin said after a moment of silence. “Would be if we would all celebrate Christmas together.”  
Anton sighed, just about to protest again, then stopped himself. “Fine.”  
“But it's Chris -- Did you just say fine?”  
“Yes.”  
“That's --” Larrikin pulled him into a tight hug, grinning from ear to ear. “That's amazing. Thank you Anton.” Then he peaked a kiss on his cheek and let him go again, before whirling around towards the door. “I have so much to prepare.”  
And then he was out of the door, and Anton smiled and shook his head in amusement and font exasperation.

* * *

On the 26th of December, all their guests had left the hotel.  
Anton wasn't sure how much of it was Larrikin's fault, and decided not to ask.  
Instead, he watched his lover as he ran around the building, covering everything he could find it glitter, or various Christmas decorations, both of them smiling - or perhaps Larrikin was more grinning than smiling, but he looked genuinely happy, and that was what mattered most.  
On the 25th, they had gone out together, visiting a nice restaurant.  
Larrikin had been smiling the entire day, and so Anton had been as well.  
Then Hotel transferred to Ireland at 3:00pm, and as soon as it finished growing, a noisy, rainsoaked group of four man came crushing through the from door.  
Dexter and Erskine stumbled and fell, face first, right on the doorstep. Anton nodded.  
“It's about time,” Saracen said when he finally came in, having poked in his head first, much more carefully than his companions. “I think we were all going to freeze to death.”  
Anton raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.  
Saracen sighed. “I know you weren't late. I'm just saying that waiting out in the cold was so unnecessary.” He pulled a face. “Plus, I think my coat is ruined. It got all wet.”  
Next to him, Ghastly snorted. “Well, now I feel offended, Saracen. Do you honestly think my cloth can withstand magic but not rain? You underestimate me.”   
“But it's wet.” Saracen gestured up and down himself.  
“Ah.” Ghastly nodded. “Now I understand. I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were made of sugar before.”  
Saravanan shrugged. “I just am that sweet.” Then he frowned. “But more gorgeous, really.”  
Anton felt fingers intertwine with his own and looked first at their joined hands, then at his lover.  
There was a content smile on Larrikin's face, and a happiness in his eyes that made Anton smile right back.  
Sure, Anton enjoyed some distance, always having been a loner, but it made Larrikin uncomfortable, itchy, to not see the others for so long.  
Already knowing he'd come to regret it, Anton promised himself to arrange more get-togethers in the future.   
(Nevermind that his schedule was packed. Never mind his responsibilities, never mind his hotel, never mind - Because Larrikin looked so gleefully happy.)  
Dexter and Erskine were back on their feet now, and Anton saw both of them scanning the room.  
“What's with all the trees?” Erskine finally asked.  
Larrikin just grinned. “I like decorating them.” Then he tugged at Anton's grip, as though trying to drag him off. “Now come on,” he said, to the group at large. “Presents!”  
Saracen frowned. “Can't we at least warm up frist?”  
“Nop.” Larrikin sounded in equal parts cheerful and determined.  
Saacen sighed. “Fine. At least let me get out of my ruined -” He glared at Ghastly when he said that, and the tailor fondly rolled his eyes. “coat, so I won't become an ice cube immediately.”  
Larrikin grumbled, but relcutantly agreeded, and so their visitors - their brothers - got rid of their coats and jackets before following them into an empty guest room Larrikin had rearranged to be his own little Christmas fort.   
The entire room was covered in glitter and Christmas lights, and there was at least five trees - one in every corner, and one in the middle of the room, presents piled under it.  
Dexter whistled. “You did quite the thing here. That's impressive.”  
Larrikin beamed. “Thanks.” Then he playfully punched Anton in the side. “See? There's at least one person who appreciates me affords.”   
Anton huffed. Larrikin laughed, as did Dexter.  
A hold lot of that evening was spent laughing, and exchanging stories, and playing stupid games, and holding Larrikin's hand.  
It was wonderful, for all of them.  
When the others left in the next morning, there was a warmth in Anton's chest he had long forgotten existed.   
Family. This was what family felt like. Shared history, and pet peeves, and annoying each other just out of spite, and loving fircely and deeply.  
It was nothing he did not get from Larrikin, but this was more.   
He was too big for one person to surround him completely, but yesterday he had been soaked in warmth.  
Larrikin would always be by his side, and he loved him more than his life, but maybe, just maybe, they both needed the others around them ever so often to feel truly whole.  
Being Dead Men was too much part of what both of them were.  
And now they were sitting on the Christmas couch, near the Christmas tree, huddle together, Larrikin yawning, his head laying in Anton's lap, Anton carefully combing his fingers through his lover's hair.  
“I love you,” Larrikin muttered. Anton smiled.  
Yes, the Dead Men were his warmth. But Larrikin was his light, and without him he'd be lost in the dark.  
“I love you, too,” he said, and it was not enough, but he knew Larrikin understood anyway, all the implied meaning and unspoken messages, and that for now, no more was needed.  
He wrapped his arms around the others slim frame and pulled him on the couch fully, so that he was now laying down.  
He could see Larrikin's eyeslids fluttering, and heard the faint sound of a residue Christmas song in the distance.  
The warmth would be enough to last him to the summer.  
And his light would never leave his side.   
What more was there to wish for?  
Not long after Larrikin, Anton felt himself drift off, and they shared their dreams.

 

 


End file.
